Every year solar energy is becoming more and more popular, which is explained by the decrease in the cost of the panels used, as well as the increase in the efficiency of this technology. A solar station installed in a summer house or on the roof of a private house will have an affordable cost, while the generated electricity will be enough to meet all the homeowner's energy needs.
Content
- Description of technology
- How the device works
- Varieties of batteries
- Solar energy for private houses
- Does the investment pay off
Description of technology
Solar panels are semiconductor devices capable of converting the sun's radiation into electrical energy. The main task of such a station is uninterrupted, economical and reliable power supply at home. It is possible to install such devices not only in those areas where there are problems with the supply of electricity, but also simply to reduce the costs of the homeowner for utility bills.
If in the past the efficiency of solar panels left much to be desired, and the only way to provide the house with electricity was by allocating batteries for the installation. an area of several hundred square meters, today, with the development of technology, even several receiver units will be enough to generate the required amount electricity.
Benefits of solar panels:
-
Quiet work. - No moving parts.
- Environmentally friendly electricity generation.
- Minimum time spent on service.
- Easy to install, the ability to effectively use the roof of the house.
- Long period of operation.
By choosing the right system, it will be possible to provide the house with electricity, and the heating in winter will work from electric boiler, which completely eliminates the need to connect to gas or install a solid fuel equipment.
However, this technology still has disadvantages. These include the following:
- At night, power generation is stopped.
- The devices are sensitive to surface contamination.
- Occupies part or all of the roof.
- High cost of battery and accumulator.
- The efficiency depends on the climatic conditions.
In recent years, the latest generation solar panels have become popular, which combine affordable cost and efficiency. They are capable of generating electricity even under snow and on a cloudy day. Every year, the cost of such stations for domestic use is steadily decreasing, their efficiency is increasing, which affects the popularity of solar energy among ordinary homeowners.
How the device works
The principle of operation of the station is extremely simple. Used photovoltaic converters, which consist of several silicon wafers, differ in their conductivity and can generate electricity due to exposure to light. Sunlight hits negatively charged panels, a potential difference appears between the two extreme plates, which coated with boron and phosphorus, which leads to the appearance of a voltage that is transmitted to the converters and then sent to electrical network at home.
Batteries of the latest generation are distinguished by the increased size of the photoconverter, which allows them to generate the maximum possible amount of electricity with a small area of the receiver itself. These systems will have a consistently high solar exposure to ensure the longest possible lifespan and excellent performance even in low light conditions.
Varieties of batteries
All performance characteristics, including installation method, power, efficiency and the ability to generate electricity under snow and on cloudy days will directly depend on the type batteries. Today, three main types of solar stations have become widespread:
- Amorphous.
- Monocrystalline.
- Polycrystalline.
Solar systems built on polycrystalline batteries have a low efficiency of 18%, but such panels are able to generate electricity even in cloudy weather. Batteries have a characteristic dark blue color and an inhomogeneous silicon crystal structure. Polycrystalline solar cells are very popular in regions with rainy and cloudy climates.
Monocrystalline converters are characterized by the characteristic black color of the panels, which is explained by the use of pure silicon for their production. Such batteries have the highest efficiency indicator to date, which is 25%. The disadvantage of this technology is that power generation is possible when the panels are turned towards the sun. But in cloudy weather, the efficiency of electricity generation is significantly reduced.
Amorphous batteries were popular in the past, but this technology is largely abandoned today. This is explained by the fact that the efficiency of such batteries is 15-20%, and literally in a year and a half, a significant deterioration in electricity generation is noted. The maximum service life of amorphous stations is 2 years. Despite the affordable cost, it is recommended to refrain from buying amorphous solar panels, which will soon require new financial investments and significant costs from the homeowner.
All solar panels used today are equipped with controllers, the main purpose of which is to redistribute the received energy and direct it to the source of use. Advanced installations can be additionally equipped with a battery that stores the generated electricity. Subsequently, at night, when the generation tends to zero, the battery is responsible for the uninterrupted power supply of the house.
Solar energy for private houses
Just a few years ago, the possibility of a completely autonomous power supply of a house due to solar panels seemed to us something from the category of fantasy. However, today technologies do not stand still, the efficiency of electricity generation is constantly increasing, the cost of equipment decreases, which allows many homeowners with the help of such batteries to completely solve the energy supply problems of private houses.
Solar stations are very popular in Western Europe, where the cost of a kilowatt-hour of consumed energy is extremely high. Therefore, in order to save money, many homeowners install solar panels on their rooftops, which fully cover their electricity needs.
Many of us find it difficult to understand how much power a solar power plant needs to use and how much it will cost to install such equipment. When performing calculations, it is necessary to proceed primarily from the general indicators of electricity consumption by a private house. So, for a country house, where only a few electrical appliances are used, a small refrigerator and a TV are working, a 250 W solar battery will be enough. But to create a full-fledged station, a panel power of 1000 W or more is required.
The cost of the equipment used will directly depend on the number of panels, their total capacity, the controller used and the presence or absence of a battery. It is the battery that is the most expensive element of the entire solar station, while such devices often fail, have a short resource and require replacement every 3-4 years.
In Western countries where the homeowner's ability to sell electricity to the government is legislated, the homeowner may discharge electricity into the general network, and subsequently take it away at the same preferential price from the general network, respectively, do not use batteries required. This can significantly reduce the total cost of setting up a fully autonomous power generation station in a private house, which covers all the energy needs of the homeowner.
In Russia, it is also theoretically possible to sell the generated solar panel electricity to the general network, however, the cost at which the state purchases electricity is not too high. In the future, we will have to select the voltage we need from the general power grid at a price several times higher than the cost at which the state buys it from us. Accordingly, to solve this problem, it is still necessary to install batteries that will store the generated energy.
The simplest installations of solar stations, which have batteries and a controller intended for power supply of country houses, will cost about 60-80 thousand rubles. But to provide electricity to a private house with an area of 200-300 square meters, where people live all year round, a station capacity of a thousand watts or more will be required. Such a system is necessarily equipped with a battery, which leads to a significant increase in the cost of equipment. On average, purchasing a high-quality solar station built on reliable components will cost 400-600 thousand rubles or more.
Does the investment pay off
Many of us are wondering whether the cost of arranging a summer cottage or in a private house of a solar station pays off. Modern installations, which are built on batteries of the latest generation, allow with minimal costs generate electricity, while they are durable and can pay off in 5-6 years of active use.
If it is necessary to use solar power plants with a battery, the cost of such equipment increases significantly, respectively, the payback period of investments can reach 12-15 years. During the operation of the equipment, you will invariably need to replace the batteries and service the panels, which will be the key to the trouble-free and durable operation of the equipment.
Today on sale you can find solar panels and all the necessary equipment for them from Western European and Chinese manufacturers. In recent years, Chinese firms have significantly improved their quality, while traditionally the cost of such stations is at an affordable level. By purchasing batteries from Chinese manufacturers, you can not only reduce your costs, but also subsequently solve problems with power supply of the house, ensuring complete autonomy and the absence of the need to connect the house to various engineering communications.
A solar power plant for the home is a promising technology, which is already very popular with summer residents and owners of private houses. By installing a solar station on your rooftop, you can completely solve problems with power supply, and the cost of such equipment will not be too high. You just need to choose the right power of the panels, correctly install them, connecting them to the network through the controller and the appropriate battery.
